Is that okay??

[benny90]

hi im an electrician at a heavily industrial site and havnt done much house work. my mate askd me to spur him a double socket...

chased wall ok.
back box in.
drilled through joist underfloor bored and took cable through ok.
now opened the junction box and it was a mess...
as it was late and no suitable shops open i had to ditch the junction box and use 60 amp chocolate blocks which i then taped up completely and ar enow under the floorboards again...

was i ok to do this as surely a chocolate block is as good as terminal in a junction box?

please reply

ben

 

[Octopus]

Current regs say that junction boxes or any "joint" should be accessible for maintenance. I wouldn't recommend leaving the joint as it is now.

Does your mate have rcd protection on the circuit?

 

[benny90]

ah ok, no he doesnt its old cartridge fuse type D.B. its still accessable as its under the floorboard where the junction box was though? thanks for the reply

ben

 

[JUD]

hi im an electrician at a heavily industrial site and havnt done much house work. my mate askd me to spur him a double socket...

chased wall ok.
back box in.
drilled through joist underfloor bored and took cable through ok.
now opened the junction box and it was a mess...
as it was late and no suitable shops open i had to ditch the junction box and use 60 amp chocolate blocks which i then taped up completely and ar enow under the floorboards again...

was i ok to do this as surely a chocolate block is as good as terminal in a junction box?

please reply

ben

Joints and connections should be in a suitable enclosure (choc box etc.) with strain relief to prevent stress on the connections.

Also as it's a socket circuit your alterations need RCD protection as Murdoch has said.

 

[benny90]

how would i incorperate RCD without using an RCD Breaker?

thanks for the help guys

 

[JUD]

If the cable is buried less than 50mm in the wall it either needs RCD protection or mechanical protection (earthed steel conduit etc.)

You could protect the cable with steel conduit and use an SRCD (socket-outlet incorporating RCD)

13 Amp 2 Gang Double RCD Switched Socket - White

 

[timo1]

I see where you are coming from and to be fair you have probably left it safer than it was. Best to use something like a wago box and wago connections which are generally accepted as maintainance free. The RCD sockets are good, you can get them for about £20 at screwfix

 

[Johnny-G]

There are also regulations concerning the location and size of holes drilled through joists, but I'm sure you adhered to those safe areas and drilled accordingly.

 

[telectrix]

if the client doesn't want to pay for a new CU, the best way to overcome the problem is to fit an RCD in enclosure adjacent to the CU. feed from the 3036 fuse and N bar to the RCD, then divert the circuit cables to the RCD. that way you will protect the whole socket circuit. as said before, your choc block joint needs replacing with wagos or similar in an enclosure.

 

[Knobhead]

i had to ditch the junction box and use 60 amp chocolate blocks which i then taped up completely and ar enow under the floorboards again...

was i ok to do this as surely a chocolate block is as good as terminal in a junction box?

please reply

ben

Ben, I’ll admit to being an industrial animal. But I’m sorry, if you get ripped to bits on this site you deserve it! Go back and do the industrial side proud, a proper terminal box at least. With 60A terminals I’m surprised the cores haven’t fallen out all ready.